Snowguard



D. LEVOW SNOWGUARD Sept. 5, 1933.

Filed Aug. 22, 1931 I M BY Patented Sept. 5, 1933 UNFTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in snowguards, being particularly directed to cushioning elements for supports of said snowguards.

One of the inherent difiiculties involved in the application and use of snowguards on the roofs of buildings, particularly on slate roofs, lies in the fact that the support for or the base of said snowguards being metallic or of a substance having a hard surface, exercises considerable pressure against the respective shingles against which they rest and under which they are disposed, with the result that when a heavy snow falls, the pressure exercised by the support and particularly the edges thereof, causes the cracking and subsequent breakage of the shingles, thereadjacent and in contact therewith.

It is an object of this invention to provide for a cushion for the supports on snowguards, comprising of a strip of a soft yieldable metal or of ja soft yieldable non-metallic composition, or of a combination of both, which strip is adaptedto be affixed to the support and surround the surface and edges thereof, which are in contact with and rest against the shingles adjacent thereto.

Further, it is an object of this invention to provide for a cushion element for supports on snowguards, which cushioning element comprises of a strip of soft and pliable nature and'fastened to the other surface of the support between the snowguard carrier and the support, the said strip being adapted to be disposed on all surfaces thereof in contact with the slate shingles in the same course as the snowguard and being adapted to envelope the edges of the support 1 thereof to provide a cushion between the hard and brittle slate surface and the hard support surface, to eliminate the contingency of the slate to crack with pressure developed by the weight of snow on the roof against the snowguard and the support carriers. 7

These and other advantages, capabilities and features of the invention will appear from the subjoined detailed description of specific embodiments illustrated in the accompanying brief, in which Figure l is a side elevation partially in section taken along lines l-l of Figure 2, showing the invention as applied.

Figure 2 is a plan view, showing the invention as applied.

Figure 3 is a perspective View of a base plate, assembled in accordance with my invention.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a modified form of assembly in accordance with my invention.

Referring to the reference characters in the surface of the base plate and is thus disposed drawing, numeral 10 represents a well-known form of snowguard unit, which unit is comprised of U-shaped cast support bracket 11, an adjustable carrier bracket 12, disposed for pivotal movement with and at one end of the support bracket, and a latch 13, disposed at the free end of the support bracket and capable of being locked to the carrier bracket at any of several desired positions, so that the length of pipes or guide rods P passing through the apertures 14 of the carrier bracket may be disposed at any of several desired angles with respect to the. slope of the roof. a The support bracket 11 is normally carried as by riveting the same. to a base plate 15, which base plate is of the same length and approximately of the same thickness as the normal slate shingle which it displaces, and the same is disposed on the roof in place of a shingle in the manner shown in Figures 1 and 2.

To cushion the base plate with respect to the adjacent shingles, there is applied to the base plate and its associated elements a cushion element l6 comprised of a strip of lead, of soft metal or alloy, or, if desired, of a non-metallic substance.

The cushion element 16 is attached to the base plate in the modification shown in Figure 3 by being riveted at one end as at 17, between the lower surface of the support bracket 11 and the upper surface of the base plate 15, the free end 18 of the sheet being then bent over the edge of the base plate and disposed flatwise, so that such free end rests against the lower or under between such under surface and the upper surface of the next adjacent shingle, to cushion the snowguard carrier with respect to the shingle, particularly for the purposes specified.

In the modification shown in Figure 4, the cushioning sheet 16 is of a length sufiicient to bend around both under extremities of the base plate 15, the end 19 being riveted between the base plate and the support bracket similarly to that shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, the sheet being passed around the under surface of the base plate and then around the other end of the base plate so as to have a flat portion on its upper surface. It should be noted that apertures 20 are formed in the cushioning sheet so that the nails for attaching the base plate carrying the snowguard unit to the supporting boards on the roof may pass both through the base plate and the cushioning sheet. In this manner the respective H face portions of the base plate are always cush- I10 ioned against the surface of the shingles against which they contact.

It is within the province of this invention, if desired, to extend the length of the cushioning sheet, so that it reaches a point adjacent the free end of the supporting bracket of the snowguard unit, such step being capable of being carried out by extending the free extremity of the cushioning sheet shown in Figure 4; such free extremity being bent down in parallelism with the fiat surface of the upper portion of the base plate, after the same has been nailed to the supporting boards on the roof. In this manner it is possible to cushion the surface of the shingles that are in contact with any and all portions and edges of the base plate carrying the snowguard unit.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made to the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims:

I claim:

1. In a snow-guard, a base and cushioning means attached to the base and disposed so as to cover at least a portion of the undersurface thereof and an edge thereof.

2. In a snow-guard, a base plate and cushioning means attached thereto and disposed so as to cover at least a portion of the upper and under surfaces thereof and at least one of the edges thereof.

3. In a snow-guard, a base plate adapted to rest between and replace a shingle in a course of shingling and cushioning means disposed between at least some of the surfaces of contact between the base plate and the portions of the shingles disposed thereupon and thereunder.

4. In a snow-guard, a base plate adapted to rest between and replace a shingle in a course of shingles, and cushioning means attached to said base plate and disposed between at least some adjacent surfaces of the base plate and the shingles disposed thereupon and thereunder, said cushioning means being adapted to overlay at least one edge of said base plate.

5. In a snow-guard, a base plate adapted to rest between and replace a shingle in a course of shingles, and cushioning means attached to said base plate and disposed between at least some of the adjacent surfaces of contact of the base plate and the shingles, said cushioning means being adapted to overlay the ends of said base plate.

6. A cushioning means for snow-guard base plates comprising a soft yieldable strap fastened to one face of said base plate and adapted to be passed around one end of said base plate and rest under the other face of said base plate.

7. A cushioning means for snow-guard base plates comprising a strip of soft yieldable material fastened to one surface of a base plate and adapted to overlay an end thereof.

8. A cushioning means for snow-guard base plates, comprising a sheet of lead fastened to one surface of a base plate and adapted to pass around at least one end thereof, the free end of said strip being adapted to rest under the other surface of said base plate to form a cushion between the base plate and shingles disposedthereupon and thereunder.

DAVID LEVOW. 

